As a suspended tonicC♯ major
The suspension resolves down onto the plain triad on the next beat.
C♯sus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯sus4 chord is a suspended fourth chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, F♯ and G♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭sus4.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Suspended fourth chords feel tense and expectant. The fourth wants to resolve down to the third, which makes sus4 a classic tool for building energy right before a major or minor chord.
- Notes
- C♯ · F♯ · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 5 · 7
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Suspended 4
- Symbol
- C♯sus4
C♯sus4 on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♯sus4 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♯, middle finger on F♯ and little finger on G♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of C♯sus4 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♯1
- F♯4
- G♯5
C♯sus4 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯sus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 9: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
C♯ · F♯ · G♯
Play C♯sus4 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♯sus4 chord notes
Also known as D♭sus4
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | F♯(F#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) |
How to use the C♯sus4 chord
The C♯sus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth. Start at the root C♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♯, F♯ and G♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Suspended fourth chords appear in rock riffs, worship music and folk. They usually sit right before the corresponding major chord, creating a strong pull into the downbeat.
How C♯sus4 differs from similar chords
C♯sus4 puts a perfect fourth where the third of C♯ would be, and that fourth wants to fall a half step to the major third. Where C♯sus2 sits comfortably, C♯sus4 sounds like a question waiting for its answer. Add a minor seventh and it becomes C♯7sus4, the suspended dominant.
Where C♯sus4 is used
A suspended chord withholds the third, so it is a chord in waiting - it resolves onto the plain triad underneath it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♯sus4 chord?
- The C♯sus4 chord contains C♯, F♯ and G♯ (C#, F# and G# in plain text).
- Is the C♯sus4 chord major or minor?
- C♯sus4 is a suspended fourth chord. Suspended fourth chords feel tense and expectant. The fourth wants to resolve down to the third, which makes sus4 a classic tool for building energy right before a major or minor chord.
- How do you play C♯sus4 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♯, F♯ and G♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of C♯sus4 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 9: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the C♯sus4 chord?
- C♯sus4 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭sus4. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.